Okay, I’m back. The nasal crisis has passed… I left work early yesterday, got home and climbed into bed for an hour and a half. I can’t say that I felt better last night, but today I feel somewhat back on track.
* * * * *
Last weekend was a busy one, with the three final performances of A Totally 80’s Wizard of Oz. In all, it was a very fun and very well-received show. The kids loved it… although on Sunday - when I took a totally-staged spill in my first scene - I scared the dickens out of a toddler in the front row. I later saw him out in the lobby and convinced him that I was all right and not the anti-christ. Before long he was smiling and giving me a high-five… I’m glad; the last thing I want to do is scar the lil’ tyke with a bit of physical humor.
What’s next for me, theatre-wise? A break. Then off to the ComedySportz national tournament in Portland, OR at the end of July.
* * * * *
Also on the weekend agenda were dinner with Doug and Bill at Chili's on Saturday night, and the Oz cast party on Sunday afternoon/evening. Both were fun... it was really great to just kick back and enjoy dinner with Doug.
For those of you who don't know him, Doug is a long-time friend of mine... we actually dated a long, long time ago (1987 to be exact), but maintained a friendship after officially breaking up way back when. He's been one of my best friends since and has saved my life so many times I can't even count.
One of the best parts of our friendship is, quite honestly, just growing older with someone who knows all the personal references from many of the past eras of my life. He's been around for so long that we can practically talk in code sometimes. It makes me think of a line from the film Broadcast News, where Albert Brooks says to his best friend, Holly Hunter, on the phone: "Okay, I'll meet you at the place by the thing where we went that time." She responds: "Okay," and hangs up.
* * * * *
I’ve got some vacation time coming up next week (working Tuesday and Wednesday only) and I’m really looking forward to the downtime. Bill and I are headed to the Nest for the week, and my parents will be joining us on July 3.
July 4 will be their 50th wedding anniversary, and Bill and I will be celebrating one “official” year under our civil union on the same day. Sadly, Bill’s mom also passed away on July 4, 2004... so we have a plenty of reasons to lift a glass to commemorate and celebrate.
We’ve decided that we’re treating my parents to dinner at a place called Torte Knox in Hawley, PA. We were recommended to this place by the owners of the River Gallery in Narrowsburg, NY… apparently the owner, Sheilah, is this wildly talented, abundantly energetic and pretty much eccentric woman who sets out to create an experience, not just dinner. We have to pick our menu choices and pay in advance, and Sheilah doesn’t allow for any last minute changes. Sounds like she wants everything to be five-star perfect. I can’t wait.
* * * * *
Tina and I will be doing a new podcast on Thursday. Thanks for the time extension, T. I wanna be 100% for when we record.
* * * * *
STILL trying to get the bathroom addition off the ground. Last week, another contractor came in with another exorbitantly high quote, this one almost $60,000. That’s even higher than the previous ridiculously high quote. The crazy part about this guy is that he’s actually following up with me, as if the quote isn’t embarrassingly off-base. Makes me wonder if he confused our job with someone else’s.
To give you an idea of how bloated this quote is: he’s itemized and he’s broken-out the cost of purchasing and installing the windows and doors for the job. There are two, small Andersen windows, and two, inexpensive hollow-core interior doors on the plan. His price for this: $6000.
Yeh, right. I feel like calling him and saying, "dude, the birthday was last week, not yesterday."
Note that we had ALL the existing interior doors in the house replaced previously for about $1000. The guy must be stoned. Or worse, he thinks I’m a flippin’ moron. Still, he thinks we should have a sit-down to discuss the job. Yeh, I’ll sit down and discuss if he brings a scalpel and is prepared to use it on his quote… he’s about 140% over our budget.
We’ve got a new contractor stopping by tomorrow night to give us a quote. I also met two friends of the producer of Oz last Friday night… both are connected in the business and may be able to help. Again, fingers are crossed.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Ew.
Well, I haven't blogged since last week and I was planning on writing more today, but I've been side-tracked by the world's worst nosebleed.
No idea how it got started, all I know is that I felt like a had a runny nose and the next thing I know I'm gushing blood. Pleasant, I know.
Thankfully, it's finally stopped. But I've been feeling just *bleah* since.
To add insult to injury, they've recently hired a nurse here at work... she's only here Mondays and Wednesdays. Awesome timing, right? Wrong... she's on vacation. Great. Useless B$%#h.
Anyway, I'm gonna call it a day shortly... more tomorrow.
No idea how it got started, all I know is that I felt like a had a runny nose and the next thing I know I'm gushing blood. Pleasant, I know.
Thankfully, it's finally stopped. But I've been feeling just *bleah* since.
To add insult to injury, they've recently hired a nurse here at work... she's only here Mondays and Wednesdays. Awesome timing, right? Wrong... she's on vacation. Great. Useless B$%#h.
Anyway, I'm gonna call it a day shortly... more tomorrow.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler.
Okay, most people remember the film Office Space. In it, the main character is practically molested by about eight different managerial types at the company he works for because he inadvertently left a cover page off a report he's responsible for. The report is called a TPS; it’s totally useless and so is the cover page. But that doesn’t keep the corporate trolls he works with from making him feel like a complete horse’s ass.
I had a TPS moment today.
Yep, my fault… I made a typo and put down the wrong date on a memo between me and one other employee. Said employee sent a panic e-mail to me, my boss, his boss and about 87 other people in the company. Before I could even respond, words like “disaster” and “debacle” were being tossed about.
Dudes… it was a typo. That’s short for typographical error. It means that everything was done correctly and everything is fine with the exception of one lousy digit that didn’t deserve to be noticed anyway. YOU MUST CHILL.
Unbelievable. Don’t these people have anything better to do?
* * * * *
Watched Chapter 5 of Angels in America last night… CLASSIC LINE that I have got to use on someone someday:
“You know what your problem is, Louis? Your problem is you're so full of piping hot crap that the mention of your name draws flies.”
Isn’t that great? From the same character, later in the same scene:
“I hate this country, Louis. Nothing but a bunch of big ideas and stories and people dying, and then people like you. The white cracker who wrote the National Anthem knew what he was doing. He set the word free to a note so high nobody could reach it. That was deliberate.”
I don’t necessarily hate this country myself, but it’s an amazing observation nonetheless.
* * * * *
So I waved hello to two people this morning while on the treadmill and nothing went flying. I’m so flippin’ proud I can barely stand myself. :) Up next: walking and chewing gum. Simultaneously.
* * * * *
I bumped into Tina this morning while waiting for my shuttle. Can I just say that the chance encounter put me in a good mood? Who knows why… I guess it’s just the realization that I have some awesome friends.
* * * * *
I literally can’t wait for dinner tonight.
Backstory: As you know, Bill and I are fans of Top Chef. This season the chefs used a Moroccan spice called ras el hanout in several dishes. I got curious about this stuff as I’d never heard of it, and found out that it’s actually a blend of spices. Apparently, if you go to the big spice markets in Morocco, each dealer will have their own recipe for ras el hanout. Most of them are based on curry and paprika, with a bunch of other stuff added in from tumeric to rose hips.
Well, I ordered a small jar of ras el hanout for Bill to cook with. We found a recipe for a Moroccan stew called tagine that’s made with with chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, onion and a bunch of other stuff. Bill made it last night so that I can have a quick dinner before rehearsal tonight.
Oh. My. GOD.
No lie, I could have eaten the entire tureen right then and there... and I had finished dinner only about an hour earlier.
Do yourself a favor… get yourself some ras el hanout. (Or be real nice to Bill and maybe he’ll make you some tagine.)
I had a TPS moment today.
Yep, my fault… I made a typo and put down the wrong date on a memo between me and one other employee. Said employee sent a panic e-mail to me, my boss, his boss and about 87 other people in the company. Before I could even respond, words like “disaster” and “debacle” were being tossed about.
Dudes… it was a typo. That’s short for typographical error. It means that everything was done correctly and everything is fine with the exception of one lousy digit that didn’t deserve to be noticed anyway. YOU MUST CHILL.
Unbelievable. Don’t these people have anything better to do?
* * * * *
Watched Chapter 5 of Angels in America last night… CLASSIC LINE that I have got to use on someone someday:
“You know what your problem is, Louis? Your problem is you're so full of piping hot crap that the mention of your name draws flies.”
Isn’t that great? From the same character, later in the same scene:
“I hate this country, Louis. Nothing but a bunch of big ideas and stories and people dying, and then people like you. The white cracker who wrote the National Anthem knew what he was doing. He set the word free to a note so high nobody could reach it. That was deliberate.”
I don’t necessarily hate this country myself, but it’s an amazing observation nonetheless.
* * * * *
So I waved hello to two people this morning while on the treadmill and nothing went flying. I’m so flippin’ proud I can barely stand myself. :) Up next: walking and chewing gum. Simultaneously.
* * * * *
I bumped into Tina this morning while waiting for my shuttle. Can I just say that the chance encounter put me in a good mood? Who knows why… I guess it’s just the realization that I have some awesome friends.
* * * * *
I literally can’t wait for dinner tonight.
Backstory: As you know, Bill and I are fans of Top Chef. This season the chefs used a Moroccan spice called ras el hanout in several dishes. I got curious about this stuff as I’d never heard of it, and found out that it’s actually a blend of spices. Apparently, if you go to the big spice markets in Morocco, each dealer will have their own recipe for ras el hanout. Most of them are based on curry and paprika, with a bunch of other stuff added in from tumeric to rose hips.
Well, I ordered a small jar of ras el hanout for Bill to cook with. We found a recipe for a Moroccan stew called tagine that’s made with with chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, onion and a bunch of other stuff. Bill made it last night so that I can have a quick dinner before rehearsal tonight.
Oh. My. GOD.
No lie, I could have eaten the entire tureen right then and there... and I had finished dinner only about an hour earlier.
Do yourself a favor… get yourself some ras el hanout. (Or be real nice to Bill and maybe he’ll make you some tagine.)
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Yeh, I'm older.
So, yesterday was my birthday. I turned 46.
In all, it was a relatively lame day. I didn’t take the day off and work was, well, accordingly annoying.
The company I work for puts out several large cakes on the afternoon of (or around) the 15th of every month, as a way of celebrating the birthdays of all the employees who turn yet another year older that month. They also send a company-wide e-mail with a list of who’s having a birthday. So everybody knows who’s celebrating and most of us usually get lots of birthday greetings.
My particular department, however, has taken to doing our own celebrations for people here in our group. Usually just a cake or something… no gifts, but a few minutes out of the day to say “happy birthday.”
We had such a celebration on June 9 for one of my co-workers. During that time, another co-worker commented that there were a lot of June birthdays in our department. Someone else asked if there were any left, and I meekly raised my hand. In short, everyone knew it my birthday was coming up.
Yesterday? One co-worker stopped at my desk to wish me a happy day. One.
No cake. No card. Hell, my boss couldn’t even get off the cranky horse long enough to wish me a happy birthday. In short, they all forgot or just blew it off. It sucked.
It’s also very typical of the treatment I tend to get wherever I work. Whenever something important comes up for a co-worker, it gets treated accordingly. Me? It gets treated like a cramp.
The best example of this was when I was working for Corporate Express (one of the three worst jobs I’ve ever had). Now, let it be known that I was more than accustomed to being treated like dirt in this place. But when my grandmother died, I thought they might break from tradition for just a moment to show a little sympathy.
Nope. No card, no flowers, no “gee, I’m sorry.” When I took the day off to go to her funeral, I was denied bereavement and had to take a vacation day. Why? Because my manager felt that me and my grandmother “weren’t close” (as opposed to my co-workers who were obviously much closer with their kin).
Well, she was correct in that I wasn’t terribly close with my grandmother. Grandma Packman was a rather cold individual and I think she saw the inner gay-boy in me years ago and didn’t like it at all. That said, she was my grandmother. The very least they could have done was let me drive my family to the funeral and give me the day off to do it.
Nope. And it seems I’ve gotten the same sort of treatment every place I worked, before then and after.
So yesterday reminded me of this and just put me in a funk. Maybe I was feeling sorry for myself a little bit. Maybe it would just be nice to know that these people I see day in and day out actually give a rat’s ass.
I do know this: I’ll be boycotting the next “department cake”. I’m really not magnanimous enough to wish someone a happy birthday that completely blew off mine. Call me petty.
* * * * *
On the flip side, I did get some nice birthday greetings outside of work. Tons of people on Facebook sent me their best, and Tina posted a birthday bear for me. I also got a really nice voice-mail from Katie… made me feel better about the complete lack of enthusiasm at work.
* * * * *
Last night was an improvement over the day. Bill and I had our regularly scheduled dinner with his kids… not only did they get his dad a Father’s day card and gift, but they did the same for me and my birthday. And they weren’t even obnoxious about it! In fact, they all seemed very grown-up for a moment… but then got back to being the noisy, uncouth animals they enjoy being at dinner. Which is fine, because that’s just who they are.
I’m not sure exactly what my so-called “stepsons” think of me, but I can say that it’s mostly positive. I’m glad… my goal with them is to not be any sort of burden; they have it hard enough trying to please their PITA mother.
* * * * *
Over the weekend, Bill and I ventured up to my brother’s place in Coventry to celebrate my dad’s birthday, Father’s Day and my birthday. It was little bit of a bust, however. The weather was cold and dreary, and my sister managed to lose the gift card for my dad that was supposed to be from Bill, me and her. That’s my sister… always some sob story, always extenuating circumstances.
My hermit brother, however, did a decent job with dinner. I had never seen his house, either… it’s a former summer-only cottage; TINY and with 6.5-foot high ceilings. But really cute and very homey. It suits him, the eternal bachelor that he is, quite well.
I did get some good birthday loot… my folks got me a gift card to Jos. A. Bank and Bill got us amazing orchestra seats to see Xanadu on Broadway in September. YAY! I already can’t wait.
* * * * *
A Totally 80’s Wizard of Oz also debuted this weekend. It was excruciatingly HOT underneath my dreadlock wig, but the show really went off quite well. The kids loved it and the parents roared over the 80’s references. The cast finally hit their stride, too… in all, it’s a decent little show and I’m glad I’m part of it.
* * * * *
Hey, I did get one other entirely incredible “present” yesterday. Same-sex marriages started in California and on my birthday to boot. Now that made me feel good… especially when I saw a photo of the 87 and 84-year-old female couple who had been together for 55 years and finally got to tie the knot for real. Let’s just hope and pray that it isn’t all for nothing come November.
* * * * *
‘Til tomorrow… tschuss.
In all, it was a relatively lame day. I didn’t take the day off and work was, well, accordingly annoying.
The company I work for puts out several large cakes on the afternoon of (or around) the 15th of every month, as a way of celebrating the birthdays of all the employees who turn yet another year older that month. They also send a company-wide e-mail with a list of who’s having a birthday. So everybody knows who’s celebrating and most of us usually get lots of birthday greetings.
My particular department, however, has taken to doing our own celebrations for people here in our group. Usually just a cake or something… no gifts, but a few minutes out of the day to say “happy birthday.”
We had such a celebration on June 9 for one of my co-workers. During that time, another co-worker commented that there were a lot of June birthdays in our department. Someone else asked if there were any left, and I meekly raised my hand. In short, everyone knew it my birthday was coming up.
Yesterday? One co-worker stopped at my desk to wish me a happy day. One.
No cake. No card. Hell, my boss couldn’t even get off the cranky horse long enough to wish me a happy birthday. In short, they all forgot or just blew it off. It sucked.
It’s also very typical of the treatment I tend to get wherever I work. Whenever something important comes up for a co-worker, it gets treated accordingly. Me? It gets treated like a cramp.
The best example of this was when I was working for Corporate Express (one of the three worst jobs I’ve ever had). Now, let it be known that I was more than accustomed to being treated like dirt in this place. But when my grandmother died, I thought they might break from tradition for just a moment to show a little sympathy.
Nope. No card, no flowers, no “gee, I’m sorry.” When I took the day off to go to her funeral, I was denied bereavement and had to take a vacation day. Why? Because my manager felt that me and my grandmother “weren’t close” (as opposed to my co-workers who were obviously much closer with their kin).
Well, she was correct in that I wasn’t terribly close with my grandmother. Grandma Packman was a rather cold individual and I think she saw the inner gay-boy in me years ago and didn’t like it at all. That said, she was my grandmother. The very least they could have done was let me drive my family to the funeral and give me the day off to do it.
Nope. And it seems I’ve gotten the same sort of treatment every place I worked, before then and after.
So yesterday reminded me of this and just put me in a funk. Maybe I was feeling sorry for myself a little bit. Maybe it would just be nice to know that these people I see day in and day out actually give a rat’s ass.
I do know this: I’ll be boycotting the next “department cake”. I’m really not magnanimous enough to wish someone a happy birthday that completely blew off mine. Call me petty.
* * * * *
On the flip side, I did get some nice birthday greetings outside of work. Tons of people on Facebook sent me their best, and Tina posted a birthday bear for me. I also got a really nice voice-mail from Katie… made me feel better about the complete lack of enthusiasm at work.
* * * * *
Last night was an improvement over the day. Bill and I had our regularly scheduled dinner with his kids… not only did they get his dad a Father’s day card and gift, but they did the same for me and my birthday. And they weren’t even obnoxious about it! In fact, they all seemed very grown-up for a moment… but then got back to being the noisy, uncouth animals they enjoy being at dinner. Which is fine, because that’s just who they are.
I’m not sure exactly what my so-called “stepsons” think of me, but I can say that it’s mostly positive. I’m glad… my goal with them is to not be any sort of burden; they have it hard enough trying to please their PITA mother.
* * * * *
Over the weekend, Bill and I ventured up to my brother’s place in Coventry to celebrate my dad’s birthday, Father’s Day and my birthday. It was little bit of a bust, however. The weather was cold and dreary, and my sister managed to lose the gift card for my dad that was supposed to be from Bill, me and her. That’s my sister… always some sob story, always extenuating circumstances.
My hermit brother, however, did a decent job with dinner. I had never seen his house, either… it’s a former summer-only cottage; TINY and with 6.5-foot high ceilings. But really cute and very homey. It suits him, the eternal bachelor that he is, quite well.
I did get some good birthday loot… my folks got me a gift card to Jos. A. Bank and Bill got us amazing orchestra seats to see Xanadu on Broadway in September. YAY! I already can’t wait.
* * * * *
A Totally 80’s Wizard of Oz also debuted this weekend. It was excruciatingly HOT underneath my dreadlock wig, but the show really went off quite well. The kids loved it and the parents roared over the 80’s references. The cast finally hit their stride, too… in all, it’s a decent little show and I’m glad I’m part of it.
* * * * *
Hey, I did get one other entirely incredible “present” yesterday. Same-sex marriages started in California and on my birthday to boot. Now that made me feel good… especially when I saw a photo of the 87 and 84-year-old female couple who had been together for 55 years and finally got to tie the knot for real. Let’s just hope and pray that it isn’t all for nothing come November.
* * * * *
‘Til tomorrow… tschuss.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Frankly, I'd rather have the stained glass.
Friday at last, TGIF. Man, what a long week.
I’ve had rehearsal for the show every night except Wednesday. Bill and I had plans to go out to eat that night, but of course my boss needed me to stay late. Yep, my one night off and I have to put in overtime. I was not happy. First off, it creates a mess in regards to getting home… the trains don’t run often to my stop and taking one other than my regular train means a lot of waiting at the station. Second, since Bill and I drive together to the station parking lot and he didn’t have a key to the car, he had to walk two miles home. Third, I wanted my night off, dammit.
I finally got home at 7:45pm. Bill has psgettis waiting. Yum. (Even if the house really reeked of garlic.)
Afterwards, I really needed to go out and buy some make-up. No, I’m not a drag queen. In the show I’m doing, my character is supposed to be something of a spoof on Boy George, so hence, I need some make-up. I actually have some collected from all the shows I’ve done in the past, but the stuff is so old that I’m a little afraid to slap it on my face. So Bill and I ventured out to Wal-Mart, perused the make-up aisles and got some very odd looks from the other shoppers.
Afterwards, we stopped at the place we were supposed to eat dinner at for some dessert instead.
Oh. My. GOD. Soooo delicious. I love crepes, and if you do too, you must go to this place. It’s new and kind of a strange combo (an Italian-named restaurant with a Greek owner serving French food), but they do a great job. I’m hoping they make a go of it and stick around.
* * * * *
As far as the weekend goes, the show opens Saturday at 2pm, and then we’re off to bbq with some friends from bowling (Miguel & Rob). Sunday is sort of repeat… show at 2pm, then off to my brother’s place (yes, I actually have a brother) for a celebration of my dad’s 74th birthday (last Wednesday), Father’s Day (Sunday) and my birthday (Monday). I haven’t seen my brother’s place yet, so it should be interesting. A few years back, he bought a very small, formerly summer-only cottage on Coventry Lake outside of Hartford and has been working on the place since.
* * * * *
Speaking of working on the house, would you believe we’re still trying to get our bathroom addition project off the ground? We’ve had horrible luck just getting pricing, never mind getting work underway.
We started with our regular carpenter…a great guy, but you just can’t light a fire under this guy’s a$$. We’ve been trying to get a quote from him since January. When we didn’t have anything on May 1 (other than about 16,000 excuses), we started looking elsewhere.
Quote number one was quickest… he got back to us in just over a week. Of course, he wanted $687 per square foot for the job, which is so ridiculous it nearly made me laugh out loud. It was clear he was high-balling the job because he didn’t really want the work… I’d rather he just said so instead of insulting us with an estimate that’s a joke.
Sidebar: This led me to create a list of a few things that cost $600/square foot:
* the world’s finest slate roofing, installed;
* religious/church-quality custom-made stained glass;
* a direct waterfront villa on Lake Como in Italy;
* a high-end quality new home in Palo Alto, CA, one of the most expensive suburbs in the US;
* rent of first-floor, direct-street-access retail space on 5th Avenue in New York City.
Amazingly, a small bathroom addition in Norwalk, CT wasn’t on the list. Hmmm. Anyway…
Quote number two took six weeks. We had high hopes with this one because the guy was a nice guy and very thorough – perhaps too much so – and seemed really psyched to do the job. He finally came back at $470 per square foot, which is only borderline ridiculous. True, it sounds like he does really nice work… but we just can’t spend that kind of money on our house. The neighborhood doesn’t support $470/square foot of anything.
Quote number three never arrived… I thought the contractor was just blowing us off. Amazingly, he called yesterday and asked if I had a chance to review his quote and if I had any questions. Yeh, I have questions… like, “what quote?” for example. So I spoke to him today, told him I never got the mysterious quote and asked him to re-send. Keeping my fingers crossed on this one… he said he’d really like to do the work. Then again, he hasn’t even been inside the house… he’s just based everything off our plans.
* * * * *
That’s it for today, kids. You have yourselves an awesome weekend.
Tschuss.
I’ve had rehearsal for the show every night except Wednesday. Bill and I had plans to go out to eat that night, but of course my boss needed me to stay late. Yep, my one night off and I have to put in overtime. I was not happy. First off, it creates a mess in regards to getting home… the trains don’t run often to my stop and taking one other than my regular train means a lot of waiting at the station. Second, since Bill and I drive together to the station parking lot and he didn’t have a key to the car, he had to walk two miles home. Third, I wanted my night off, dammit.
I finally got home at 7:45pm. Bill has psgettis waiting. Yum. (Even if the house really reeked of garlic.)
Afterwards, I really needed to go out and buy some make-up. No, I’m not a drag queen. In the show I’m doing, my character is supposed to be something of a spoof on Boy George, so hence, I need some make-up. I actually have some collected from all the shows I’ve done in the past, but the stuff is so old that I’m a little afraid to slap it on my face. So Bill and I ventured out to Wal-Mart, perused the make-up aisles and got some very odd looks from the other shoppers.
Afterwards, we stopped at the place we were supposed to eat dinner at for some dessert instead.
Oh. My. GOD. Soooo delicious. I love crepes, and if you do too, you must go to this place. It’s new and kind of a strange combo (an Italian-named restaurant with a Greek owner serving French food), but they do a great job. I’m hoping they make a go of it and stick around.
* * * * *
As far as the weekend goes, the show opens Saturday at 2pm, and then we’re off to bbq with some friends from bowling (Miguel & Rob). Sunday is sort of repeat… show at 2pm, then off to my brother’s place (yes, I actually have a brother) for a celebration of my dad’s 74th birthday (last Wednesday), Father’s Day (Sunday) and my birthday (Monday). I haven’t seen my brother’s place yet, so it should be interesting. A few years back, he bought a very small, formerly summer-only cottage on Coventry Lake outside of Hartford and has been working on the place since.
* * * * *
Speaking of working on the house, would you believe we’re still trying to get our bathroom addition project off the ground? We’ve had horrible luck just getting pricing, never mind getting work underway.
We started with our regular carpenter…a great guy, but you just can’t light a fire under this guy’s a$$. We’ve been trying to get a quote from him since January. When we didn’t have anything on May 1 (other than about 16,000 excuses), we started looking elsewhere.
Quote number one was quickest… he got back to us in just over a week. Of course, he wanted $687 per square foot for the job, which is so ridiculous it nearly made me laugh out loud. It was clear he was high-balling the job because he didn’t really want the work… I’d rather he just said so instead of insulting us with an estimate that’s a joke.
Sidebar: This led me to create a list of a few things that cost $600/square foot:
* the world’s finest slate roofing, installed;
* religious/church-quality custom-made stained glass;
* a direct waterfront villa on Lake Como in Italy;
* a high-end quality new home in Palo Alto, CA, one of the most expensive suburbs in the US;
* rent of first-floor, direct-street-access retail space on 5th Avenue in New York City.
Amazingly, a small bathroom addition in Norwalk, CT wasn’t on the list. Hmmm. Anyway…
Quote number two took six weeks. We had high hopes with this one because the guy was a nice guy and very thorough – perhaps too much so – and seemed really psyched to do the job. He finally came back at $470 per square foot, which is only borderline ridiculous. True, it sounds like he does really nice work… but we just can’t spend that kind of money on our house. The neighborhood doesn’t support $470/square foot of anything.
Quote number three never arrived… I thought the contractor was just blowing us off. Amazingly, he called yesterday and asked if I had a chance to review his quote and if I had any questions. Yeh, I have questions… like, “what quote?” for example. So I spoke to him today, told him I never got the mysterious quote and asked him to re-send. Keeping my fingers crossed on this one… he said he’d really like to do the work. Then again, he hasn’t even been inside the house… he’s just based everything off our plans.
* * * * *
That’s it for today, kids. You have yourselves an awesome weekend.
Tschuss.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
LIVID.
Have you ever noticed that only really queeny, really worked-up gay men use the word “livid”?
Example: “They pre-empted Project Runway for the President’s speech? I am LIVID.”
* * * * *
I got news for you people… I’m livid. And not in a limp-wristed, gonna-scratch-your-eyes-out way. No, I’m livid in a I’m-gonna-grab-a-protest-sign-and-beat-someone-over-the-head-with-it way.
There’s two reasons for this lividness, both items in the news today. (Yes, “lividness” is a word… spell-check didn’t try to correct it.)
Reason for Lividness #1: Bush regrets “talking tough” before we went into Iraq.
Yes, and many Americans now wish they had voted for John Kerry (which irritates the snots out of those us who did).
Hey, George, you f*@%!#g idiot… good of you to discover in the seventh year of your Presidency that hindsight is 20/20. I guess you still haven’t learned that, as President of one of the most important countries on the planet, that all of your actions have repercussions and consequences.
Why does January 20, 2009 still seem too far off?
Reason for Lividness #2: Senate Republicans block taxes on oil profits.
Are these people out of their tiny, f*@%!#g minds???
Okay, let me see if I can get the logic straight here… the Republicans are saying that if we tax Big Oil, then Big Oil is gonna turn around “punish” us.
I have two questions in return:
1. Aren’t we being “punished” by them already?
2. For the LOVE OF GOD, you’re the US Government… if they retaliate on consumers then what’s to keep you from retaliating back and protecting us? Oh, wait… that would involve actually doing work, wouldn’t it? Sorry to suggest such ludicrousness.
Seems to me that this is proof of just how crooked the whole oil situation is and that pockets are being lined. I just can’t believe that a group of people (Republicans) can be so insanely brazen about it.
All this begs a question to Middle America and the people who support this party: what’s affecting you more? That to fuel your F-150 now costs $400 or more a month, or that me and my same-sex partner want to get married? Seriously. What is making a bigger impact on your life?
If you answered the latter, you’re full of s#!t. If you answered the latter, you’re subjugating yourself to be just another sheep for the next eight years by listening to people who are creating a mountain out of a molehill for their own benefit. And if you answered the latter, you really, really need to get your head out of you’re a$$.
Big Oil is gutting this country from the inside out and it needs to stop. The do-nothing approach isn’t working… not for Iraq, not for the economy and certainly not where oil and gas prices are concerned.
One of the questions raised by a windfall profits tax is where the money should/would/could go… how about pouring it all into our jammed mass transit systems that are running on fumes? As someone who is now parking the car at home and riding the train to work, I can say that it would only encourage more people to use less gas.
Of course, that isn’t the idea. Apparently, the Republicans want all of us to go broke supporting Big Oil and foreign interests who delight in flying planes into US office buildings (do I need to remind everyone that 15 of the 19 terrorists involved in 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia?) And apparently the Republican leader is more concerned with looking good on his way out the door than actually addressing any of the real issues that face us as a nation. If he and his party were interested in tackling the “terrorist threat” then they’d go after the companies responsible for terrorizing our wallets and our livelihood.
Sorry this isn’t a happier post today folks, but the title of this blog is GAP’s Rant after all. And I’m just too ticked off to not belch. That being said, have a great day, stay proud… and TSCHUSS!
Example: “They pre-empted Project Runway for the President’s speech? I am LIVID.”
* * * * *
I got news for you people… I’m livid. And not in a limp-wristed, gonna-scratch-your-eyes-out way. No, I’m livid in a I’m-gonna-grab-a-protest-sign-and-beat-someone-over-the-head-with-it way.
There’s two reasons for this lividness, both items in the news today. (Yes, “lividness” is a word… spell-check didn’t try to correct it.)
Reason for Lividness #1: Bush regrets “talking tough” before we went into Iraq.
LONDON - President Bush admitted Wednesday that his tough rhetoric had given the world the impression he was a "guy really anxious for war".
Wait… you mean he wasn’t a guy really anxious for war??? Yeh, right. And I’m not a big Miss Thing who uses words like “livid”.
Newsflash: The man wanted this war. He lied and misrepresented the facts to get it. He wanted it in the worst way so that he could one-up his father and show HW how he could do it and do it better. Of course, his father – the colossal bore that he is – was right all along, and Junior only managed to show the world (and his dad) how much of a tyrannical retard he is. The nerve of this guy to now try to play it off like he ever had other options in mind for Iraq.
(He) said he now wished he had used a different tone on the global stage.
Yes, and many Americans now wish they had voted for John Kerry (which irritates the snots out of those us who did).
Hey, George, you f*@%!#g idiot… good of you to discover in the seventh year of your Presidency that hindsight is 20/20. I guess you still haven’t learned that, as President of one of the most important countries on the planet, that all of your actions have repercussions and consequences.
Why does January 20, 2009 still seem too far off?
Reason for Lividness #2: Senate Republicans block taxes on oil profits.
Are these people out of their tiny, f*@%!#g minds???
Okay, let me see if I can get the logic straight here… the Republicans are saying that if we tax Big Oil, then Big Oil is gonna turn around “punish” us.
I have two questions in return:
1. Aren’t we being “punished” by them already?
2. For the LOVE OF GOD, you’re the US Government… if they retaliate on consumers then what’s to keep you from retaliating back and protecting us? Oh, wait… that would involve actually doing work, wouldn’t it? Sorry to suggest such ludicrousness.
Seems to me that this is proof of just how crooked the whole oil situation is and that pockets are being lined. I just can’t believe that a group of people (Republicans) can be so insanely brazen about it.
All this begs a question to Middle America and the people who support this party: what’s affecting you more? That to fuel your F-150 now costs $400 or more a month, or that me and my same-sex partner want to get married? Seriously. What is making a bigger impact on your life?
If you answered the latter, you’re full of s#!t. If you answered the latter, you’re subjugating yourself to be just another sheep for the next eight years by listening to people who are creating a mountain out of a molehill for their own benefit. And if you answered the latter, you really, really need to get your head out of you’re a$$.
Big Oil is gutting this country from the inside out and it needs to stop. The do-nothing approach isn’t working… not for Iraq, not for the economy and certainly not where oil and gas prices are concerned.
One of the questions raised by a windfall profits tax is where the money should/would/could go… how about pouring it all into our jammed mass transit systems that are running on fumes? As someone who is now parking the car at home and riding the train to work, I can say that it would only encourage more people to use less gas.
Of course, that isn’t the idea. Apparently, the Republicans want all of us to go broke supporting Big Oil and foreign interests who delight in flying planes into US office buildings (do I need to remind everyone that 15 of the 19 terrorists involved in 9/11 were from Saudi Arabia?) And apparently the Republican leader is more concerned with looking good on his way out the door than actually addressing any of the real issues that face us as a nation. If he and his party were interested in tackling the “terrorist threat” then they’d go after the companies responsible for terrorizing our wallets and our livelihood.
Sorry this isn’t a happier post today folks, but the title of this blog is GAP’s Rant after all. And I’m just too ticked off to not belch. That being said, have a great day, stay proud… and TSCHUSS!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Call me Grace.
My god… I’m such the stereotypical, uncoordinated, dorky white boy.
Today was a gym day. I devoted my entire “workout” to the treadmill (as opposed to the elliptical thingy) as my legs are little sore from dancing around (if you can call what I do “dancing”) and generally acting like an idiot at rehearsals for Oz.
So, I’m on the treadmill and one of the guys from maintenance walks through the gym. I go to wave “hi.” Things go downhill from there.
In raising my hand up to wave, I accidentally catch the headset cord from my iPod. This brusquely yanks the earbuds out of my ears (ouch) and simultaneously sends my iPod flying to the floor with a loud THUD (double ouch).
I go to reach for the iPod… of course, the treadmill is STILL MOVING. (Duh, Packman, shut the dumb thing off - or at least slow it down - first!) Thankfully, I only make a few stumbling steps before realizing this and don’t lose my balance completely. I step off the treadmill belt and place my feet on the sides of the machine so I’m straddling the belt. I reach for the iPod again, praying I haven’t busted the dang thing.
I get little further this time… until the torrents of sweat from my forehead come cascading down into my eyes. To quote Linda Blair from The Exorcist (in the scene where she gets doused with holy water), “ohhh, it BURNS, it BURNS!”
Instinctively, I reach to rub the irritant from my eyes. Of course, my nose is also slick with sweat, and, being the dorky white boy that I am, I nudge my glasses… which slide off my face like a luge on an icy track. They fall onto the belt and ZING… off the back of the treadmill.
Let’s recap: I’m blind, I feel like I’ve been maced in the eyes, my iPod is on the ground and my glasses are at the other end of the gym. AND the treadmill is still humming away.
Okay, deep breath.
I step gingerly off the machine and reach for the iPod. Again. The only reason I can even see it without my eyewear is because the white headset cord is standing out against the black floor. I finally grab the iPod. It looks fine. And in rising upwards, I plow my head into one of the armrests of the treadmill.
I’m done. I find my glasses (also fine) and hit the shower.
Thankfully, no one witnessed my little display of Three Stooges-style acrobatics… the maintenance guy, thankfully, missed the whole thing. However, there are security cameras in the gym and I’m sure the security team has been rewinding and playing over that portion of the surveillance tape all morning.
* * * * *
So last weekend was a good one… tried to get some work done outside (namely staining the new arbor over our front porch), but it was just too dang hot. Powerwashing all the tree-gunk (pollen, sap, leaves) off the cars and driveway was moderately refreshing, but after that, I was done.
Val and the Kulanu group from her temple made it down to see ComedySportz on Saturday night. It was a good show, although our ref was little out of practice and stumbled a few times accordingly. Still everyone from the group seemed to have a good time. I give them credit because it was a hot day and they had been schlepping about NYC all day, and none of the crew seemed tired or cranky.
Afterwards, Bill and I hit our favorite Thai place, Wondee Siam on 9th Ave, for dinner. Always a great meal, and always reasonably priced.
On Sunday, we ran a pile of errands, then headed over to James and Adam’s for swim and pizza with them, Tina and Jess. A passing thunderstorm interrupted things, but we still had a good time. Good people.
* * * * *
Rehearsals are in the final stages for The Totally 80’s Wizard of Oz. It’s still rough around the edges, but we should be ready for our matinee opener this Saturday at 2pm. It’s a silly little show, but the kids are gonna love it.
Speaking of kids, I’m really impressed by all the kids in cast. They get a little rambunctious sometimes, but for the most part, they’re just as committed to the show (if not more) than the adults.
* * * * *
Since most of the TV shows that Bill and I go out of our way to watch have wrapped up for the season, we’ve found ourselves in a little bit of an entertainment drought on weeknights. We decided to supplement the situation by re-watching HBO’s miniseries, Angels in America.
I know this piece isn’t everyone’s cup of tea… the writing/prose can get very flowery and/or dense, and a lot of the themes are unsettling. Me, I love a piece that really makes me think and perhaps rubs me the wrong way a bit in the process. But what I really love about Angels is just how insanely well done the show is.
First off, the musical score is just perfect. Thomas Newman, the guy who also did the music for Six Feet Under, did the music for Angels and, man, what a beautiful job. The right underscoring can change the whole feel of a film, and that’s exactly what happens here. Not to sound too much like an aesthete, but the music is haunting in every sense of the word.
Then there’s the acting. Truly, there isn’t anything less than an amazing performance from everyone in the ensemble… from Patrick Wilson’s tortured, hunky Mormon; to Mary-Louise Parker’s his tortured, pill-popping wife; to Justin Kirk’s pitch-perfect portrayal of a man dying of AIDS; to an absolutely spot-on turn by Jeffrey Wright as a gay nurse with a penchant for feather boas.
And, of course, Meryl Streep is, as usual, fantastic… but what’s simply astounding is her performance as a little, old MALE rabbi at the beginning of the piece. Like the stage play that the “movie” is based on, the cast members all play multiple roles. Streep’s primary role is as Wilson’s crisp, Mormon mother, but she also appears as Ethel Rosenberg (!) and the aforementioned rabbi. Seriously, the make-up and acting are so well done that you’d never know it was her unless you were told so. Just the way she deepens her voice for the part – totally convincingly – is proof that this is an amazing actress in an insanely revolutionary show.
(In hindsight, I should have brought this show up as a topic of conversation with the Kulanu group when I was speaking with them… there’s a strong Jewish theme running through the piece, and if their members haven’t seen the show, they should! Val, did you get that? :)
Haven’t seen it? Borrow it from me and find six hours to watch it.
Today was a gym day. I devoted my entire “workout” to the treadmill (as opposed to the elliptical thingy) as my legs are little sore from dancing around (if you can call what I do “dancing”) and generally acting like an idiot at rehearsals for Oz.
So, I’m on the treadmill and one of the guys from maintenance walks through the gym. I go to wave “hi.” Things go downhill from there.
In raising my hand up to wave, I accidentally catch the headset cord from my iPod. This brusquely yanks the earbuds out of my ears (ouch) and simultaneously sends my iPod flying to the floor with a loud THUD (double ouch).
I go to reach for the iPod… of course, the treadmill is STILL MOVING. (Duh, Packman, shut the dumb thing off - or at least slow it down - first!) Thankfully, I only make a few stumbling steps before realizing this and don’t lose my balance completely. I step off the treadmill belt and place my feet on the sides of the machine so I’m straddling the belt. I reach for the iPod again, praying I haven’t busted the dang thing.
I get little further this time… until the torrents of sweat from my forehead come cascading down into my eyes. To quote Linda Blair from The Exorcist (in the scene where she gets doused with holy water), “ohhh, it BURNS, it BURNS!”
Instinctively, I reach to rub the irritant from my eyes. Of course, my nose is also slick with sweat, and, being the dorky white boy that I am, I nudge my glasses… which slide off my face like a luge on an icy track. They fall onto the belt and ZING… off the back of the treadmill.
Let’s recap: I’m blind, I feel like I’ve been maced in the eyes, my iPod is on the ground and my glasses are at the other end of the gym. AND the treadmill is still humming away.
Okay, deep breath.
I step gingerly off the machine and reach for the iPod. Again. The only reason I can even see it without my eyewear is because the white headset cord is standing out against the black floor. I finally grab the iPod. It looks fine. And in rising upwards, I plow my head into one of the armrests of the treadmill.
I’m done. I find my glasses (also fine) and hit the shower.
Thankfully, no one witnessed my little display of Three Stooges-style acrobatics… the maintenance guy, thankfully, missed the whole thing. However, there are security cameras in the gym and I’m sure the security team has been rewinding and playing over that portion of the surveillance tape all morning.
* * * * *
So last weekend was a good one… tried to get some work done outside (namely staining the new arbor over our front porch), but it was just too dang hot. Powerwashing all the tree-gunk (pollen, sap, leaves) off the cars and driveway was moderately refreshing, but after that, I was done.
Val and the Kulanu group from her temple made it down to see ComedySportz on Saturday night. It was a good show, although our ref was little out of practice and stumbled a few times accordingly. Still everyone from the group seemed to have a good time. I give them credit because it was a hot day and they had been schlepping about NYC all day, and none of the crew seemed tired or cranky.
Afterwards, Bill and I hit our favorite Thai place, Wondee Siam on 9th Ave, for dinner. Always a great meal, and always reasonably priced.
On Sunday, we ran a pile of errands, then headed over to James and Adam’s for swim and pizza with them, Tina and Jess. A passing thunderstorm interrupted things, but we still had a good time. Good people.
* * * * *
Rehearsals are in the final stages for The Totally 80’s Wizard of Oz. It’s still rough around the edges, but we should be ready for our matinee opener this Saturday at 2pm. It’s a silly little show, but the kids are gonna love it.
Speaking of kids, I’m really impressed by all the kids in cast. They get a little rambunctious sometimes, but for the most part, they’re just as committed to the show (if not more) than the adults.
* * * * *
Since most of the TV shows that Bill and I go out of our way to watch have wrapped up for the season, we’ve found ourselves in a little bit of an entertainment drought on weeknights. We decided to supplement the situation by re-watching HBO’s miniseries, Angels in America.
I know this piece isn’t everyone’s cup of tea… the writing/prose can get very flowery and/or dense, and a lot of the themes are unsettling. Me, I love a piece that really makes me think and perhaps rubs me the wrong way a bit in the process. But what I really love about Angels is just how insanely well done the show is.
First off, the musical score is just perfect. Thomas Newman, the guy who also did the music for Six Feet Under, did the music for Angels and, man, what a beautiful job. The right underscoring can change the whole feel of a film, and that’s exactly what happens here. Not to sound too much like an aesthete, but the music is haunting in every sense of the word.
Then there’s the acting. Truly, there isn’t anything less than an amazing performance from everyone in the ensemble… from Patrick Wilson’s tortured, hunky Mormon; to Mary-Louise Parker’s his tortured, pill-popping wife; to Justin Kirk’s pitch-perfect portrayal of a man dying of AIDS; to an absolutely spot-on turn by Jeffrey Wright as a gay nurse with a penchant for feather boas.
And, of course, Meryl Streep is, as usual, fantastic… but what’s simply astounding is her performance as a little, old MALE rabbi at the beginning of the piece. Like the stage play that the “movie” is based on, the cast members all play multiple roles. Streep’s primary role is as Wilson’s crisp, Mormon mother, but she also appears as Ethel Rosenberg (!) and the aforementioned rabbi. Seriously, the make-up and acting are so well done that you’d never know it was her unless you were told so. Just the way she deepens her voice for the part – totally convincingly – is proof that this is an amazing actress in an insanely revolutionary show.
(In hindsight, I should have brought this show up as a topic of conversation with the Kulanu group when I was speaking with them… there’s a strong Jewish theme running through the piece, and if their members haven’t seen the show, they should! Val, did you get that? :)
Haven’t seen it? Borrow it from me and find six hours to watch it.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Don't wanna be no Anjou.
Top Chef UPDATE: Figures. My pick for the win, Antonia (actually, I wasn’t sure she’d win... it was more that I was hoping she would) was asked to pack her knives and go on Wednesday. One episode left next week. Remarkably, I’m rooting for anyone but the remaining lesbian to win (there were three in the competition this season… the other two got on the show individually but were actually a couple and, in my estimation, nicer people and better chefs than the remaining third. Then again, this is reality TV and they’ll edit the snots out of their footage to make people look like “bad guys.”)
* * * * *
Looking forward to another fun weekend. On Saturday, Val and the Kulanu Group from her temple are heading into NYC for the day; their last stop will be to see ComedySportz at 6pm. I’ll be performing (I believe I’m Captain of the Blue Team.) I’m hoping that we have a substantial crowd… once the warm weather hits, the crowds at the show get freakishly unpredictable; packed house one week, three people the next. Keep those fingers crossed; I want them to get the best show possible and a bigger crowd is always helpful.
Sunday we’ll be staining the new arbor that we had made for the front the house in Norwalk (a.k.a. Marvin Gardens). I’ll post a photo when it’s done. The company that made this thing custom for us did a gorgeous job.
After that, it looks like we’ll stop over at our friends/neighbors Adam & James for a dunk in their pool. The temperature is supposed to hit 90, so we’ll probably need it. Then maybe some barbecue at our place? Gotta pow-wow with Bill and see.
* * * * *
Okay, let’s talk weight for a second.
I’ll be blunt: I’m really getting a gut. I mean, it’s been slowly getting larger over the past ten years or so, but lately, I’ve really begun to notice it. It’s really noticeable in recent pictures and, quite frankly, it’s begun to block my view of other parts of my personal landscape. (I know… WTMI.)
The crazy part is this: I haven’t gained any weight.
Seriously. I got on the scale yesterday, cringing and dreading the news, expecting to see 210 or 220 come up. Nope. 205. Right where it’s been for years. I just don’t get it.
I guess the answer is that the weight is shifting from other places. Lord, PLEASE don’t let me be one of those guys whose butt entirely vanishes only to reappear in the vicinity of their belly-button.
“Moderate diet and exercise” is the new mantra. All I can think of is Tina, who said she flatly refused to be 35 and a smoker. Me, I don’t want to be 50 and tubby. I’m not saying I want to get into triathlete shape… I am saying I don’t want to look like a huge Bartlett pear with legs. And I’ve got 4 years from the Monday after next to do it.
* * * * *
Happy Weekend, everyone. See you again on Monday. Tschuss!
* * * * *
Looking forward to another fun weekend. On Saturday, Val and the Kulanu Group from her temple are heading into NYC for the day; their last stop will be to see ComedySportz at 6pm. I’ll be performing (I believe I’m Captain of the Blue Team.) I’m hoping that we have a substantial crowd… once the warm weather hits, the crowds at the show get freakishly unpredictable; packed house one week, three people the next. Keep those fingers crossed; I want them to get the best show possible and a bigger crowd is always helpful.
Sunday we’ll be staining the new arbor that we had made for the front the house in Norwalk (a.k.a. Marvin Gardens). I’ll post a photo when it’s done. The company that made this thing custom for us did a gorgeous job.
After that, it looks like we’ll stop over at our friends/neighbors Adam & James for a dunk in their pool. The temperature is supposed to hit 90, so we’ll probably need it. Then maybe some barbecue at our place? Gotta pow-wow with Bill and see.
* * * * *
Okay, let’s talk weight for a second.
I’ll be blunt: I’m really getting a gut. I mean, it’s been slowly getting larger over the past ten years or so, but lately, I’ve really begun to notice it. It’s really noticeable in recent pictures and, quite frankly, it’s begun to block my view of other parts of my personal landscape. (I know… WTMI.)
The crazy part is this: I haven’t gained any weight.
Seriously. I got on the scale yesterday, cringing and dreading the news, expecting to see 210 or 220 come up. Nope. 205. Right where it’s been for years. I just don’t get it.
I guess the answer is that the weight is shifting from other places. Lord, PLEASE don’t let me be one of those guys whose butt entirely vanishes only to reappear in the vicinity of their belly-button.
“Moderate diet and exercise” is the new mantra. All I can think of is Tina, who said she flatly refused to be 35 and a smoker. Me, I don’t want to be 50 and tubby. I’m not saying I want to get into triathlete shape… I am saying I don’t want to look like a huge Bartlett pear with legs. And I’ve got 4 years from the Monday after next to do it.
* * * * *
Happy Weekend, everyone. See you again on Monday. Tschuss!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Spam, Family Style
So, my father has become a fan of sending me every last e-mail he gets from his crony friends. And since many, if not all, of those friends are raging conservatives, a lot of the stuff he sends is Republican rhetoric. Usually it’s stupid and innocuous. Sometimes it’s stupid and offensive. Today’s e-mail was stupid, outdated and just plain unbelievable.
Someone in Maine apparently had the bright idea to write the speech George W. Bush should give if he were to just up and quit. (God, we could only wish.) In this speech, W would essentially say that we’ve gotten everything wrong, from gas prices to Katrina to Iraq, and that he’s really just been woefully misunderstood because we’re all a bunch of American Idol-addled morons. Oh, and that he’s entirely faultless and the real blame for every last one of the country’s problems is Bill Clinton.
That there are actually people in this country who still back the spineless m%!&*r f*%$#r to write something like this boggles my mind. Seriously… how can anybody feel that this guy has done a good job? Even dear old Dad has admitted the man will go down in the annals of time as a failure.
Nonetheless, I started writing an in-depth response to the e-mail, noting that the resignation speech never mentions some of W’s shining moments. Like ignoring the Hurricane Katrina situation for days… or allowing his Vice President to illegally orchestrate the whole Halliburton scam… or weaseling out of serving in Vietnam… or starting a war entirely predicated on lies and bad information. Or – AHEM – supporting an amendment to the Constitution to illegalize gay marriage.
I scrapped the rebuttal. Instead, my e-mail response was to send this:
“Okay, Dad… you know that I love you and respect you. But the attached e-mail is walrus poop.”
Consider my restraint an early Father’s Day present.
* * * * *
So, now that I take the company shuttle to/from the train station, I pass by the old McCall’s Magazine building on Pulaski Street in Stamford nearly everyday. It’s an awesome building… all brick and right on the Rippowam River. It’s been abandoned for years and, unfortunately, is finally being demolished.
As of today, the windows have been removed and huge hole has been punched in the roof. It really makes me sad; the building would have made for some awesome loft apartments… if it were just a tad larger and in a better neighborhood.
I’m especially going to miss the big, non-working neon sign on top of the building. My mom used to get McCall’s when it was at it’s height of popularity back in the sixties… it just feels like something from my childhood is going away.
Then again, the property is near the new transitway they're building… if it means traffic in Stamford might improve because of whatever they’re doing with the property, I’ll get over it.
* * * * *
Hey, I went to the gym again today. It really isn’t so bad. Of course, my “workout” isn’t the most strenuous one going, but I’m trying to ease my way into a routine and not hate it in the process.
* * * * *
So today in the lunch line I spoke briefly with a co-worker from another department who used to have a desk near mine but has since been moved to another building. Nice guy, who I’m fairly certain bats for my team. Now this shouldn’t be such a big deal except that I’m pretty much the only out gay man in my company of 750+ employees. Yeh, I know… they are certainly others. But no one that I know of for sure… and this guy comes closest. So my question is this: how do you break the ice and broach the subject? And what do I do if my gay-dar is off and I’m wrong?
* * * * *
Rehearsal again tonight (last night’s went well except for me flubbing my lyrics something fierce), then home to collapse. Looking forward to this show being done… it’s fun, but Summer is pretty much here and I’m wishing for more free time.
Tschuss.
Someone in Maine apparently had the bright idea to write the speech George W. Bush should give if he were to just up and quit. (God, we could only wish.) In this speech, W would essentially say that we’ve gotten everything wrong, from gas prices to Katrina to Iraq, and that he’s really just been woefully misunderstood because we’re all a bunch of American Idol-addled morons. Oh, and that he’s entirely faultless and the real blame for every last one of the country’s problems is Bill Clinton.
That there are actually people in this country who still back the spineless m%!&*r f*%$#r to write something like this boggles my mind. Seriously… how can anybody feel that this guy has done a good job? Even dear old Dad has admitted the man will go down in the annals of time as a failure.
Nonetheless, I started writing an in-depth response to the e-mail, noting that the resignation speech never mentions some of W’s shining moments. Like ignoring the Hurricane Katrina situation for days… or allowing his Vice President to illegally orchestrate the whole Halliburton scam… or weaseling out of serving in Vietnam… or starting a war entirely predicated on lies and bad information. Or – AHEM – supporting an amendment to the Constitution to illegalize gay marriage.
I scrapped the rebuttal. Instead, my e-mail response was to send this:
“Okay, Dad… you know that I love you and respect you. But the attached e-mail is walrus poop.”
Consider my restraint an early Father’s Day present.
* * * * *
So, now that I take the company shuttle to/from the train station, I pass by the old McCall’s Magazine building on Pulaski Street in Stamford nearly everyday. It’s an awesome building… all brick and right on the Rippowam River. It’s been abandoned for years and, unfortunately, is finally being demolished.
As of today, the windows have been removed and huge hole has been punched in the roof. It really makes me sad; the building would have made for some awesome loft apartments… if it were just a tad larger and in a better neighborhood.
I’m especially going to miss the big, non-working neon sign on top of the building. My mom used to get McCall’s when it was at it’s height of popularity back in the sixties… it just feels like something from my childhood is going away.
Then again, the property is near the new transitway they're building… if it means traffic in Stamford might improve because of whatever they’re doing with the property, I’ll get over it.
* * * * *
Hey, I went to the gym again today. It really isn’t so bad. Of course, my “workout” isn’t the most strenuous one going, but I’m trying to ease my way into a routine and not hate it in the process.
* * * * *
So today in the lunch line I spoke briefly with a co-worker from another department who used to have a desk near mine but has since been moved to another building. Nice guy, who I’m fairly certain bats for my team. Now this shouldn’t be such a big deal except that I’m pretty much the only out gay man in my company of 750+ employees. Yeh, I know… they are certainly others. But no one that I know of for sure… and this guy comes closest. So my question is this: how do you break the ice and broach the subject? And what do I do if my gay-dar is off and I’m wrong?
* * * * *
Rehearsal again tonight (last night’s went well except for me flubbing my lyrics something fierce), then home to collapse. Looking forward to this show being done… it’s fun, but Summer is pretty much here and I’m wishing for more free time.
Tschuss.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
All hail the Obaminator.
First things first: Tina and I recorded our second Podcast last night… you can download it at http://www.queeryme.com/. The topic this time was “Members of the Opposite Sex We’d Go Straight For… Well, For One Night Anyway.” Each of us compiled a list of five hotties and defined why we find each of them hot. The results? Tina likes men who smolder and Packie likes women with M-shaped upper lips.
* * * * *
BREAKING NEWS: The high court in California that legalized gay marriage has refused to stay its decision until November. This means that couples will be able to wed starting on June 17. Unfortunately, an initiative has been approved to go on the ballot in the fall and Californians will vote on whether to amend the State’s constitution to illegalize gay marriage. If they did, it would overrule the court’s decision.
Hopefully they won’t. If they do, however, no one is clear on what will happen to the same-sex marriages performed between June 17 and November 4.
The good news? A recent poll showed that Californians are in favor of gay marriage for the first time… 52% to 47%. Yay, California.
* * * * *
Can I just throw in here this: Let’s say that the initiative fails, gay marriage becomes legal, and then a huge earthquake strikes California. How much do you wanna bet that about a gazillion Jesus-freaks would suddenly pipe up and say it was God’s work and that he was trying to smite all us heathens Sodom-and-Gomorrah-style?
But… if you ask about all those tornadoes that have an uncanny knack of mowing down some of the most hypocrisy-prone, trailer-laden portions of the Bible Belt? Well, that’s just weather.
* * * * *
So, Obama got the official Democratic nod last night. 10-to-1 says he’ll be our next Prez.
I read an interesting blurb about Hillary on MSN this morning. It said that she definitely does NOT want the job of VP, nor does Barack want to offer it to her. But they will probably orchestrate it where he does offer her the job and she politely and magnanimously declines. Why? It makes him look good. It makes her look good. It brings everyone back together. Smart.
So this begs the question: who will Obama pick for Veep? I’d put my money on someone with GOBS of Washington experience to help counter for his lack thereof. (Wes Clark anyone?) My take on Obama is this: not a bad politician, but not enough experience. I think a lot of people feel the same way… hence the choice of someone really seasoned to back him up.
That said, Hill’s got a ton of experience… and heck, VP and First Lady are practically the same job. I think everyone should at least consider the idea… if it happened, it would be a landslide in November.
Not that John McCain makes me want to vomit through my nose like, say, W does. In fact, despite his party affiliation, McCain isn’t a bad guy… he’s just all wrong about the mess in Iraq and won’t get my vote accordingly. Well, that and the fact that a huge portion of his party are right-wing, born-again yahoos who honestly think I should burn in hell. That’s always a little, shall we say, discouraging.
* * * * *
I downloaded the new single from Coldplay from iTunes last night. It’s called Vida la Vida, and if you’re a fan of the band like me, you’ll love it.
* * * * *
Tonight I’ve got rehearsal for Oz, then it’s home to watch the finale of the fourth season of Top Chef on Bravo. I love this show… and what makes this season really interesting is that three of the final four are women. (The winners of all three previous seasons have been men.) Of course, it goes without saying that the winner should simply be whomever is the best chef, regardless of gender… but it would be nice to see one of the women take it all this time. My pick is a bit of a dark horse… her name is Antonia, she’s a single mom, and her strong suit is homestyle comfort food that comes from the heart. I’d love to see someone with a more basic approach to cooking win one of these things. ‘Cuz let’s be honest… very few of us can even spell ganache, gastrique, or gelee, never mind cook one.
* * * * *
Off to get coffee… my usual afternoon coffee craving is hitting me early today.
Tschuss.
* * * * *
BREAKING NEWS: The high court in California that legalized gay marriage has refused to stay its decision until November. This means that couples will be able to wed starting on June 17. Unfortunately, an initiative has been approved to go on the ballot in the fall and Californians will vote on whether to amend the State’s constitution to illegalize gay marriage. If they did, it would overrule the court’s decision.
Hopefully they won’t. If they do, however, no one is clear on what will happen to the same-sex marriages performed between June 17 and November 4.
The good news? A recent poll showed that Californians are in favor of gay marriage for the first time… 52% to 47%. Yay, California.
* * * * *
Can I just throw in here this: Let’s say that the initiative fails, gay marriage becomes legal, and then a huge earthquake strikes California. How much do you wanna bet that about a gazillion Jesus-freaks would suddenly pipe up and say it was God’s work and that he was trying to smite all us heathens Sodom-and-Gomorrah-style?
But… if you ask about all those tornadoes that have an uncanny knack of mowing down some of the most hypocrisy-prone, trailer-laden portions of the Bible Belt? Well, that’s just weather.
* * * * *
So, Obama got the official Democratic nod last night. 10-to-1 says he’ll be our next Prez.
I read an interesting blurb about Hillary on MSN this morning. It said that she definitely does NOT want the job of VP, nor does Barack want to offer it to her. But they will probably orchestrate it where he does offer her the job and she politely and magnanimously declines. Why? It makes him look good. It makes her look good. It brings everyone back together. Smart.
So this begs the question: who will Obama pick for Veep? I’d put my money on someone with GOBS of Washington experience to help counter for his lack thereof. (Wes Clark anyone?) My take on Obama is this: not a bad politician, but not enough experience. I think a lot of people feel the same way… hence the choice of someone really seasoned to back him up.
That said, Hill’s got a ton of experience… and heck, VP and First Lady are practically the same job. I think everyone should at least consider the idea… if it happened, it would be a landslide in November.
Not that John McCain makes me want to vomit through my nose like, say, W does. In fact, despite his party affiliation, McCain isn’t a bad guy… he’s just all wrong about the mess in Iraq and won’t get my vote accordingly. Well, that and the fact that a huge portion of his party are right-wing, born-again yahoos who honestly think I should burn in hell. That’s always a little, shall we say, discouraging.
* * * * *
I downloaded the new single from Coldplay from iTunes last night. It’s called Vida la Vida, and if you’re a fan of the band like me, you’ll love it.
* * * * *
Tonight I’ve got rehearsal for Oz, then it’s home to watch the finale of the fourth season of Top Chef on Bravo. I love this show… and what makes this season really interesting is that three of the final four are women. (The winners of all three previous seasons have been men.) Of course, it goes without saying that the winner should simply be whomever is the best chef, regardless of gender… but it would be nice to see one of the women take it all this time. My pick is a bit of a dark horse… her name is Antonia, she’s a single mom, and her strong suit is homestyle comfort food that comes from the heart. I’d love to see someone with a more basic approach to cooking win one of these things. ‘Cuz let’s be honest… very few of us can even spell ganache, gastrique, or gelee, never mind cook one.
* * * * *
Off to get coffee… my usual afternoon coffee craving is hitting me early today.
Tschuss.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Gym, Take Two
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Confucius
So I did it. I actually went to the company gym this morning.
There was a period in my life when I was hitting the gym 3-4 times a week, primarily for weight training. It was actually starting to show, too. Of course, I was younger then and didn’t have nearly the gut I do now.
What killed my routine was the need for more money. I took a part-time job waiting tables and that was the end of my gym membership. Between my regular full-time job (which, at that time, I hated) and the second one at night, I didn’t even have time to do my laundry, never mind haul my cookies over to World’s.
To make matters worse, the restaurant had a policy of offering its employees dinner at the end of each shift. So, 10-11pm would roll around, I’d be exhausted and hungry and I was getting offered a plate of delicious (read: fattening) Italian food. And, of course, I have the willpower of gnat… put food in front of me and it’s gone.
Eventually, the job went by the wayside and Bill/home-ownership/a job I actually like all came into the picture. Contentment = waistline. That’s a scientific equation.
A few weeks back, I saw a recently-taken photo of myself where the belly was a) hanging over my beltline and b) way more than obvious, even though I was wearing a very loose-fitting, untucked t-shirt. I’m not saying I looked fat… worse, I’m saying I looked pretty trim except for the heinous gut-butt in the middle of my front side.
So today I started with 30 minutes of very brisk walking on the treadmill and doing whatever you call it on the elliptical trainer. It went well… worked up a helluva sweat and my asthma didn’t bother me one iota.
(Sidebar: how much is an iota?)
Doesn’t hurt that, as I was headed into the locker room, one of the most attractive, successful guys at the company was headed out of the shower. Talk about a role model… handsome, built, successful. Also wearing only a towel around his mid-section, but who noticed that? (Glenn sheepishly raises his hand.)
I know I’ll never be “cut”. But I could stand to lose a few pounds and add a few years to my life. And if Tina and Jess can quit smoking, I can surely do this.
The quote at the beginning is one of my favorites. The problem is this: the first step of just about anything is exciting. Fresh. What do you do when you’re at mile 114 of the journey and it’s already as boring as whale snot?
* * * * *
Movie recommendation for all you gay men out there (as well as open-minded straight folk/gay women)… a movie produced by the here! TV network called Shelter.
You know how everyone called Brokeback Mountain the “gay cowboy movie”? Well, this is the “gay surfer movie”. Thankfully, the film isn’t remotely about surfing… it just provides a really nice backdrop to the story, and is the interest that the protagonists share which brings them together.
The story is simple: Zach is a young aspiring artist from the wrong side of the tracks who is guilted by his overbearing family into chucking his dreams of art school and taking care of them instead. He bumps into Shaun, older brother of his privileged best friend… it’s widely known that Shaun is gay, but the two rekindle and old friendship… and much more.
Zach is, of course, just coming out of the closet and treats the overly-pliable Shaun like a yo-yo. Eventually, he comes to grip with what he truly wants and moves forward.
It’s a sweet movie, obviously made on shoestring budget. It’s refreshingly devoid of moronic stereotypes, and I could actually visualize the story happening in real life somewhere.
The only critical mark I have is that, as an LA Boi, hunky Shaun (played by Brad Rowe from Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss) would never – repeat never – put up Zach’s hot and cold routine. Also, the decision Shaun makes at the end is such a selfless life-changer that it didn’t necessarily ring true to me.
That said, what really does work is the inclusion of Zach’s older sister Jeanne (played by Six Feet Under alum Tina Holmes). Jeanne is one of those women who found herself – forgive the expression – knocked up, had the kid, and then proceeded to dump all the responsibility of actually raising the child on a family member, namely Zach. Worse, as soon as Zach spends any time not devoted to the kid, she turns on the guilt like it’s water from a tap. Even worse, when she discovers Zach is friends with the local gay guy, she disapproves, saying it’s a bad influence. Yeh, unlike the parade of drunk losers she brings home on a regular basis.
That twist is frustrating as hell, but man, it really strikes a perfect chord. Here’s this irresponsible, focusless, white-trash single mom – someone who can’t even get out of her own way – pontificating on how all gay men are bad influences. You know it happens all the damn time… it made me fuming mad, which means they did an awesome job with it here.
* * * * *
Didn’t I say I was gonna make these entries shorter? Dammit. I did.
Signing off… oh, and by the way: Tschuss is a German word that my relatives use all the time… sort of a cross between “see ya”, “cheers” and “cheerio”. It’s probably the happiest sign-off word I can think of, so you’ll see it a lot here.
Accordingly: Tschuss!
So I did it. I actually went to the company gym this morning.
There was a period in my life when I was hitting the gym 3-4 times a week, primarily for weight training. It was actually starting to show, too. Of course, I was younger then and didn’t have nearly the gut I do now.
What killed my routine was the need for more money. I took a part-time job waiting tables and that was the end of my gym membership. Between my regular full-time job (which, at that time, I hated) and the second one at night, I didn’t even have time to do my laundry, never mind haul my cookies over to World’s.
To make matters worse, the restaurant had a policy of offering its employees dinner at the end of each shift. So, 10-11pm would roll around, I’d be exhausted and hungry and I was getting offered a plate of delicious (read: fattening) Italian food. And, of course, I have the willpower of gnat… put food in front of me and it’s gone.
Eventually, the job went by the wayside and Bill/home-ownership/a job I actually like all came into the picture. Contentment = waistline. That’s a scientific equation.
A few weeks back, I saw a recently-taken photo of myself where the belly was a) hanging over my beltline and b) way more than obvious, even though I was wearing a very loose-fitting, untucked t-shirt. I’m not saying I looked fat… worse, I’m saying I looked pretty trim except for the heinous gut-butt in the middle of my front side.
So today I started with 30 minutes of very brisk walking on the treadmill and doing whatever you call it on the elliptical trainer. It went well… worked up a helluva sweat and my asthma didn’t bother me one iota.
(Sidebar: how much is an iota?)
Doesn’t hurt that, as I was headed into the locker room, one of the most attractive, successful guys at the company was headed out of the shower. Talk about a role model… handsome, built, successful. Also wearing only a towel around his mid-section, but who noticed that? (Glenn sheepishly raises his hand.)
I know I’ll never be “cut”. But I could stand to lose a few pounds and add a few years to my life. And if Tina and Jess can quit smoking, I can surely do this.
The quote at the beginning is one of my favorites. The problem is this: the first step of just about anything is exciting. Fresh. What do you do when you’re at mile 114 of the journey and it’s already as boring as whale snot?
* * * * *
Movie recommendation for all you gay men out there (as well as open-minded straight folk/gay women)… a movie produced by the here! TV network called Shelter.
You know how everyone called Brokeback Mountain the “gay cowboy movie”? Well, this is the “gay surfer movie”. Thankfully, the film isn’t remotely about surfing… it just provides a really nice backdrop to the story, and is the interest that the protagonists share which brings them together.
The story is simple: Zach is a young aspiring artist from the wrong side of the tracks who is guilted by his overbearing family into chucking his dreams of art school and taking care of them instead. He bumps into Shaun, older brother of his privileged best friend… it’s widely known that Shaun is gay, but the two rekindle and old friendship… and much more.
Zach is, of course, just coming out of the closet and treats the overly-pliable Shaun like a yo-yo. Eventually, he comes to grip with what he truly wants and moves forward.
It’s a sweet movie, obviously made on shoestring budget. It’s refreshingly devoid of moronic stereotypes, and I could actually visualize the story happening in real life somewhere.
The only critical mark I have is that, as an LA Boi, hunky Shaun (played by Brad Rowe from Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss) would never – repeat never – put up Zach’s hot and cold routine. Also, the decision Shaun makes at the end is such a selfless life-changer that it didn’t necessarily ring true to me.
That said, what really does work is the inclusion of Zach’s older sister Jeanne (played by Six Feet Under alum Tina Holmes). Jeanne is one of those women who found herself – forgive the expression – knocked up, had the kid, and then proceeded to dump all the responsibility of actually raising the child on a family member, namely Zach. Worse, as soon as Zach spends any time not devoted to the kid, she turns on the guilt like it’s water from a tap. Even worse, when she discovers Zach is friends with the local gay guy, she disapproves, saying it’s a bad influence. Yeh, unlike the parade of drunk losers she brings home on a regular basis.
That twist is frustrating as hell, but man, it really strikes a perfect chord. Here’s this irresponsible, focusless, white-trash single mom – someone who can’t even get out of her own way – pontificating on how all gay men are bad influences. You know it happens all the damn time… it made me fuming mad, which means they did an awesome job with it here.
* * * * *
Didn’t I say I was gonna make these entries shorter? Dammit. I did.
Signing off… oh, and by the way: Tschuss is a German word that my relatives use all the time… sort of a cross between “see ya”, “cheers” and “cheerio”. It’s probably the happiest sign-off word I can think of, so you’ll see it a lot here.
Accordingly: Tschuss!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Blog, Take Two
Hey, all. Welcome back.
Okay, so I tried the blog thing a while back... got into it, had a couple of great posts, then it fell by the wayside. For one thing, my blog provider wanted to start charging me money (uh, I don't think so), so the web address had to go away. More importantly, I found it hard to keep up with the writing part.
See, I tend to write like I leave messages on peoples' voice-mail... protracted, overly-descriptive, sometimes repetitive and definitely way too long.
Yeh, some blogs (like mine, originally) are daily political and personal manifestos. And my little novellas were fun (who will ever forget Mr. Twitch?), just too time consuming to put together on a regular basis.
So, I'm gonna try again, and this time make it more like a mini-diary... just a few daily observations and reports on what's up in GAPland, a la my favorite blog, Tina-cious, authored by my dear friend (and bowling teammate) Tina. I hope you like. I'm gonna promise now to be more prolific.
Hey, it's the first Monday of a new month, two weeks before my next birthday... I'm in "new-leaf" mode. It's a good time for new-leaf-turning, so why not?
* * * * *
Part of the impetus for the fresh kickstart is that I'm just coming off a fantastic weekend. Bill (my partner of seven years, for those totally new) and I hosted five of our lesbian pals (Tina, Jess, Val, Linda and Katie) at The Cuckoo's Nest this weekend... it's was supposed to be a movie night with a bonus sleepover, but the movie got chucked in favor of some really great conversation with awesome, like-minded people.
The weather was supposed to suck on Saturday, and be iffy on Sunday. Instead, we got one very brief, very intense and very cool thunder/rainstorm late Saturday afternoon. Besides a few clouds here and there, it was gloriously sunny all weekend. "Good to be Alive" weather.
We saw some amazing wildlife at the Nest this weekend as well. Besides spotting a mother deer with a tiny, one-week-old fawn in tow, a bald eagle soared over our dock and around the lake. I tell ya... Mother Nature can be damned impressive sometimes.
* * * * *
So, among the new leaves are my change-over to commuting to work by train (going well for almost a month now) and my subsequent use of the gym at work now that I'm getting in early (delayed because of work on the car any my current rehearsal schedule.) The protrusion known as my belly is getting annoyingly ugly... so tomorrow I start with a light aerobic regimen and I go from there. Please be supportive and scold the snots out of me if I stop doing it.
* * * * *
The rehearsals I mentioned are for a kids' show I'm working on, "The Totally 80's Wizard of Oz", being presented at The Carriage House Arts Center. Got kids? Bring 'em. It's a riot. It's a re-telling of the Wizard of Oz story, but with spoofs of 80's hits instead of the classic songs. I get to play the Boy George-inspired Scarecrow. Seriously, the kids are gonna love it, and their parents will, like, fer shur identify with the music and bad 80's fashions.
* * * * *
So that's it for today... I'll figure out the other stuff (how to leave comments, etc.) as this continues. In the meantime, check out the podcast I'm doing with Tina at http://www.queeryme.com/. We're recording our second show on Tuesday... guarantees to be a good one.
Tschuss.
Okay, so I tried the blog thing a while back... got into it, had a couple of great posts, then it fell by the wayside. For one thing, my blog provider wanted to start charging me money (uh, I don't think so), so the web address had to go away. More importantly, I found it hard to keep up with the writing part.
See, I tend to write like I leave messages on peoples' voice-mail... protracted, overly-descriptive, sometimes repetitive and definitely way too long.
Yeh, some blogs (like mine, originally) are daily political and personal manifestos. And my little novellas were fun (who will ever forget Mr. Twitch?), just too time consuming to put together on a regular basis.
So, I'm gonna try again, and this time make it more like a mini-diary... just a few daily observations and reports on what's up in GAPland, a la my favorite blog, Tina-cious, authored by my dear friend (and bowling teammate) Tina. I hope you like. I'm gonna promise now to be more prolific.
Hey, it's the first Monday of a new month, two weeks before my next birthday... I'm in "new-leaf" mode. It's a good time for new-leaf-turning, so why not?
* * * * *
Part of the impetus for the fresh kickstart is that I'm just coming off a fantastic weekend. Bill (my partner of seven years, for those totally new) and I hosted five of our lesbian pals (Tina, Jess, Val, Linda and Katie) at The Cuckoo's Nest this weekend... it's was supposed to be a movie night with a bonus sleepover, but the movie got chucked in favor of some really great conversation with awesome, like-minded people.
The weather was supposed to suck on Saturday, and be iffy on Sunday. Instead, we got one very brief, very intense and very cool thunder/rainstorm late Saturday afternoon. Besides a few clouds here and there, it was gloriously sunny all weekend. "Good to be Alive" weather.
We saw some amazing wildlife at the Nest this weekend as well. Besides spotting a mother deer with a tiny, one-week-old fawn in tow, a bald eagle soared over our dock and around the lake. I tell ya... Mother Nature can be damned impressive sometimes.
* * * * *
So, among the new leaves are my change-over to commuting to work by train (going well for almost a month now) and my subsequent use of the gym at work now that I'm getting in early (delayed because of work on the car any my current rehearsal schedule.) The protrusion known as my belly is getting annoyingly ugly... so tomorrow I start with a light aerobic regimen and I go from there. Please be supportive and scold the snots out of me if I stop doing it.
* * * * *
The rehearsals I mentioned are for a kids' show I'm working on, "The Totally 80's Wizard of Oz", being presented at The Carriage House Arts Center. Got kids? Bring 'em. It's a riot. It's a re-telling of the Wizard of Oz story, but with spoofs of 80's hits instead of the classic songs. I get to play the Boy George-inspired Scarecrow. Seriously, the kids are gonna love it, and their parents will, like, fer shur identify with the music and bad 80's fashions.
* * * * *
So that's it for today... I'll figure out the other stuff (how to leave comments, etc.) as this continues. In the meantime, check out the podcast I'm doing with Tina at http://www.queeryme.com/. We're recording our second show on Tuesday... guarantees to be a good one.
Tschuss.
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